July 18, 2024

The skyline of east Sioux Falls is starting to change in a big way.

The 284,000-square-foot South Dakota One Stop building, which reaches four stories at it highest height, is on track to move in its first state employees by the end of the year.

The project at Dawley Farm Village will bring 12 state agencies into one building, with about 900 staff members expected to work there.

It’s being developed by Dream Design International and leased to the state.

“The rain set us back a little bit, but we’re still on schedule or ahead of schedule,” Dream Design CEO Hani Shafai said. “Right now, DSS (Department of Social Services) and the Department of Health will be available by the end of this year, and they will be able to move in.”

Some of those departments are at 811 E. 10th St., which the city has identified as a potential redevelopment area. The plan is that all 12 state agencies are moved in and the building is fully open to the public by June 2025. The departments moving in include:

• Bureau of Human Resources and Administration
• Bureau of Information & Telecommunications
• Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources
• Department of Corrections
• Department of Education
• Department of Health
• Department of Human Services
• Department of Labor & Regulation
• Department of Public Safety — Driver Licensing
• Department of Revenue
• Department of Social Services
• Governor’s Office of Economic Development

“We actually are doing all the coordination with the state agencies, and they’ve been great to work with,” Shafai said. “We’ve done it quite a few times, so we’ve given them the experience they need, and so far it’s been really awesome.”

Dream Design also developed a similar state office in Rapid City.

The Sioux Falls project is designed by Co-op Architecture and being built by McGough Construction.

The building ranges from two to four stories “to make it look architectural and bring in natural light,” Shafai said. “They’re interconnected with a really nice lobby area that can be shared among the agencies, which makes it more efficient for the public to navigate.”

As the building has taken shape, “I’m like, ‘wow,'” Shafai said.

“The natural light I think is going to be a huge change for the folks who are going to be working there and the people who go there. The ease of navigation for the customers and the people who need the services and the environment for the staff that are working for them has completely changed the quality of the workplace, which is great for retention and attracting employees.”

The city is working with Dream Design to construct a bus stop at the building.

“Honestly, I have to say Sioux Falls is the best place as far as government we ever worked. The VA and Sioux Falls are the two that have been really, as far as dealing with infrastructure and dealing with approvals, really great. The city staff have been really helpful.”

The building also will include a patio so the staff can take breaks or hold meetings outdoors.

Dream Design also owns 2.5 acres adjacent to the state building “and we hope to attract something that will complement the uses,” Shafai said.

“Either another government agency or something that is needed by the folks who go there, a day care or health care. We’ll see what the needs are in collaboration with the city and county to define what’s needed in the area. The goal is to bring in something to improve quality of life or make it easier for people working there.”